Repair Cafe ‘what the world needs’

Ann and Dan Guenther of New Paltz leave the Repair Cafe in January with neither of their items— a bee’s nest and toaster oven—fixed.
Paula Ann Mitchell — Daily Freeman

NEW PALTZ >> It was just a simple, rather ordinary-looking lamp that Linda Mokarry brought to the Repair Cafe on a recent Saturday.

To her, though, it was much more.

The lamp, which had just stopped working, belonged to a friend, who recently finished her doctoral dissertation at SUNY New Paltz and was moving to Atlanta, Ga.

“I helped her pack, and we tried to get it in the trunk, but it wouldn’t fit, so she gave it to me,” Mokarry said.

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“She used it to study and finish up her doctorate, so, yeah, it’s pretty special to me,” she said.

Luckily for Mokarry, she had just learned about the Repair Cafe and Ken “Fix-It” Boscher happened to be nearby and hear her sentiment.

He quickly sized up the situation at the electronics station, and with a simple twist of a fresh bulb, fixed the problem, rendering a very grateful Mokarry.

“I think it’s phenomenal…that you can come, get things fixed, and socialize with very nice people,” she said, turning to thank Boscher.

“This environment is what the world needs in these challenging times.”

Mokarry was one of several hundred people who showed up at the New Paltz United Methodist Church on Jan. 18 with their broken but beloved items in tow.

Things like vacuum cleaners were rolled in, while alarm clocks, radios, toys, espresso machines, computers and toaster ovens were carried into the big community room by their expectant owners.

One woman, Ann Guenther of New Paltz, even brought a paper wasp nest that had split apart, revealing the intricacies of nature.

“We don’t have a lot of people who know how to repair them these days,” she laughed, not at all disappointed in the outcome.

No matter what the object, there was a story behind it, and those poised to fix the worn or broken items were as eager to hear their history as they were to mend them.

“The timeline on our Facebook page is full of little stories,” said John Wackman, the founder of the New Paltz Repair Cafe.

“People bring in their beloved but broken items that they really would like to keep but aren’t sure where to take them to get fixed.

“Back in the day, every community had a repair shop that could fix almost anything, but a lot of that is lost today. This is the niche or the need that the Repair Cafe fills,” he said.

Wackman, a former TV producer, got it going last spring after he heard about the concept, which was founded in the Netherlands in 2009 by former Dutch journalist Martine Postma.

The idea was to reuse and recycle broken objects and spare landfills from junk and clutter.

“I thought this would be a great thing for New Paltz,” Wackman said.

“At the time, I was new to the area, so being able to talk about it and working on it as a project was a great way to meet people. Repair Cafe was my passport to the community.”

The most important component in making it happen, he said, was plugging in a volunteer repair team.

“I found a number of them and talked to them about it, and every one of them said, ‘Wow, what a cool idea. Sure, I’ll help you,’” Wackman recalled.

“What Repair Cafe has going for it is that everybody thinks it’s a cool idea, so it sells itself. It’s one of those things people respond to.”

The project got a boost after he connected with the Retired Men of New Paltz, speaking at the group’s monthly breakfast.

From there, all the pieces started fitting together, he said.

Wackman then learned that the New Paltz United Methodist Church at 1 Grove St. would be willing to donate its downstairs space.

The community room was ideal to set up the different work stations that include clothing and textiles; dolls and stuffed animals; woodwork; simple jewelry repair; tool sharpening; mechanical and electronic gadgets and digital devices.

The inaugural event happened last May and was an immediate success. It is held bi-monthly, with the next one scheduled for March 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Every time it’s held, new friends are made and terrific stories are shared, Wackman said.

On top of that, things get fixed for free.

Even people like retired State Supreme Court Judge Joseph Torraca stopped by in January to see what it was like.

He brought in a decorative button bearing his image that needed some kind of hook to display.

“My wife wants to hang me,” he chuckled.

Jewelry repair volunteer Renee Lee Rosenberg got to it, fastening a small ring and handing it back to the laughing judge.

“Now they can hang me in the house,” he said.

At an adjacent table, Misha Kharnick of New Paltz took a few minutes to explain to Alan Macaluso how her alarm clock had repeatedly failed her.

“You have a bad switch,” he said tapping it.

Kharnick seemed relieved and watched as Macaluso made the needed repairs.

“I think it’s a great idea,” she said of the Repair Cafe. “I think it’s wonderful because many of us know what we want and how it perhaps could be done, but we cannot do it, so it’s great to have people who can.”

Others apparently feel likewise.

In fact, there already are plans in place to get Repair Cafes started in Woodstock and Rosendale.

Sam Magarelli was so sold on it that he’s pushing it forward in Woodstock.

He attended in November, bringing a nonfunctioning toy circus his children received as a gift more than 30 years ago.

“Their grand Mà Mà gave it to them for the holidays,” Magarelli wrote in a Facebook post.

“Over time it could not take the children’s touches and began to fail. It was heartening to see it came back to life at the Repair Cafe. Mà Mà is 93 now and failing, but it was a sweet gift and is a fond way to remember her.”

Magarelli already has found two potential locations—Woodstock Town Hall or the Mescal Hornbeck Community Center—and is in the process of seeking someone to coordinate the event much like Wackman.

He’s also looking for volunteer carpenters, seamstresses and those with electrical, computer and jewelry repair skills.

Magarelli believes once it gets going, it will enhance Woodstock’s overall sense of community.

“Every community should have a Repair Cafe,” he said. “In a quiet way, it can enrich the quality of life for everyone.”

Amy Trompetter believes likewise and expects a Rosendale version to start up this spring, offering a bi-monthly schedule that alternates with the New Paltz Repair Cafe.

“There is a global movement to provide locally for each other and to have a good time doing it. Repair Cafe is a lovely part of that,” Trompetter said.

Volunteers like Voscher agree.

While he admitted that lamps and vacuums consume much of his time at the Repair Cafe, even they can claim a sentimental spot in their owners’ hearts, he said.

“I see people smile when I fix their grandmother’s lamp that hasn’t worked in 40 years,” he said. “It’s fun. It’s challenging. I meet people, and it’s a good way to spend a Saturday.”

Wackman agreed and said he and his team already are looking ahead to March 15.

“We can’t guarantee that the item you bring will get fixed. All we can guarantee is that you’ll have an interesting time. That said, a lot of stuff gets fixed. Our success rate is actually very high, and people leave very happy.”

About the Author

Paula Ann Mitchell has been a multimedia journalist at the Freeman since March of 2010. She has an extensive background in television, radio, newspapers and magazines. Reach the author at pmitchell@freemanonline.com
or follow Paula Ann on Twitter: @anchoratfreeman.